


Sparks

by FeelTheThunder



Category: Avengers, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Awesome Natasha Romanov, Bonfires, Bruce Banner & Tony Stark Friendship, Cute Ending, F/M, Fireworks, I Ship It, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Natasha Needs a Hug, POV Bruce Banner, POV Natasha Romanov, Romantic Fluff, Stargazing, Stars, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, hulkwidow - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-12
Updated: 2015-11-12
Packaged: 2018-05-01 08:31:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5199173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeelTheThunder/pseuds/FeelTheThunder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sparks fly on November 5th</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sparks

**Author's Note:**

> A little fluff I had going for a while and decided to finally get posted and away. it wasn't originally for Guy Fawkes, but the time was right, even though I'm like a week late....  
> Uni's killing me and taking all my spare time away D: I promise though to have the next update on Heavenly Darkness up in under a week.  
> Meanwhile, enjoy this for now :)

November 5th. Guy Fawkes night. Bonfire night. The one night where it was deemed acceptable to light rockets and watch them explode metres from you and your children, who were watching in awe and holding sticks that fizzed and sparkled close to their hands. She had never understood the excitement of such dangerous and horrible things, then again, she grew up with even more dangerous and horrible things.

“So you gonna come tonight, Rogers, Romanoff?” Tony stood in the middle of the gym where the pair in question had not long finished their sparing match and were moving on to the next area of their session. Natasha had dragged Steve down to spare, her excuse being she wanted the exercise. Her real reason, she didn’t want to hear the fireworks she knew would be set off that night. They didn’t help with her remembering of her past.

“To what, Stark?” Natasha glanced up from shoving the punch bag back into its cover. Steve rolled his eyes slightly from where he was holding the bag up, a small smirk on his face.

“To the bonfire Peppers’ hosting.” Tony grinned, and then grinned wider when he watched Steve’s eyes lit up slightly.

“That sounds good. I’ll come.” He shrugged, but his face was still split into a huge, excited smile. Natasha finished tying the bag before looking up with a small frown.

“I’m not really interested in fireworks.” She looked between the two men. She felt uneasy, a rare feeling for her. Usually she tuned out from her worries or problems, but the flurry of anxiety settled deep in her stomach this time and refused to stop.

“Aw come on, it’ll be fun. The whole teams going! I spoke to Thor earlier and I think he’s coming with Jane. I’ve even convinced Banner!” Tony smoothly lied. He wasn’t lying about Thor, but Bruce, yes he was. Natasha raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment, whether she picked up on the lie or not, Tony couldn’t tell.

“Fine, alright.” Tony whooped as Natasha rolled her eyes and nodded her head. “Is there going to be sparklers?” At least they were easier to handle and deal with, and she had held a few in her younger years and was always pleasantly surprised.

“The whole works.” Tony reassured with a grin before running out the gym, shouting a muffled “7pm, common room, don’t be late!” Natasha narrowed her eyes slightly as Tony disappeared from view, she could have sworn she heard him snigger…

xx

Bruce looked up as Tony walked towards him, catching his eye and pulling his attention from the book he was currently reading. He was curled up on the couch, the soft hum of the TV Clint was watching making for a pleasant background noise. The Archer sat at the other side of the couch, lounging and snoozing as he lazily flicked through the channels. Bruce, not wanting to hear or see any of the fireworks that night, has decided to retire from the lab and hide out on the common area. The lab was fitted with a large glass wall on one side which overlooked the city, beautiful on a normal night, but hellish on Guy Fawkes. Bruce had joined Clint over an hour ago, the common room higher up the tower and therefore further from the dreaded noises. The widows were smaller as well and restricted more of the city. The pair had sparked up a small conversation before they fell into a comfortable silence, which was broken now by Tony’s loud footsteps and almost audible grins.

“Whos coming tonight?” He excitedly babbled, looking between the equally confused Archer and Scientist. Tony purposely rounded to stand in front of the TV and grabbed Bruce’s book, earning a moan of protest and glare.

“To what?” Bruce raised an unamused eyebrow, miffed that Tony had interrupted his reading; he was getting to the best bit.

“The bonfire! Pepper decided to host one as a charity event in the name of Stark Industries.” He threw his arms out, revealing the big revelation. Bruce didn’t move, eyebrow still raised. Clint grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

“As long as I can roast a marshmallow.” Tony whooped and turned to Bruce, who swallowed.

“Uh, I’m good thanks.” He averted his eyes. Tony’s shoulders slumped, whether in defeat or confusion Bruce couldn’t tell.

“What? Why not?”

“Its not really my thing.” Bruce shrugged, trying to look passive. He didn’t care for the loud bangs and sudden noises. They didn’t mix well with the Other Guy, and his memories of his past.

“Aw come on, Bonfires are the best.” Clint smirked a little and nudged Bruce’s with his foot.

“The whole teams’ going.” Tony added, a small frown appearing with a pout. Bruce looked between them both and almost shuddered, feeling cornered.

“Uhh…” he swallowed again, the feeling of guilt and disappointment swarming.

“Have you ever been to one?” Clint pressed, determined for an answer. Bruce paused slightly. He never had, only watching fireworks from his bedroom window as a child with his Mum. His Father never cared for Bonfire night, and treated it no differently than any other night…

“No…” Bruce sighed, feeling even more cornered. Clint smiled slightly as Tony mockingly gasped and grabbed his chest in surprise. He was secretly relieved Clint was helping him convince Bruce, it wouldn’t go down well if he refused.

“Brucey, you’re missing out. You need to come.” Tony nodded in decisiveness and high-fived Clint before skipping away with a “here at 7pm!” thrown over his shoulder.

“You’ll enjoy it.” Clint chuckled at Bruce’s lost expression before standing up with a stretch and moving towards the lift. The scientist didn’t move, catch in flashbacks and worry. Surely it can’t be that bad, nothing bad would happen, right? He wrestled with himself for the next few hours, the whole time eyeing the clock as it drew closer and closer to 7pm.

Xx

Bruce huddled in his jacket, shivering slightly at the nipping cold air. The massive bonfire roared in the centre of the event, people gathering round it in glee and wonder as they roasted marshmallows and warmed their hands. Further off, the fireworks were beginning to be set up, wooden posts being hammered into the solid ground and the safety fence undergoing a last check.

“Hey.” Bruce turned at the voice, giving Steve a small smile as he approached and greeted him back. “You alright?”

“Yeah.” Bruce faintly nodded, eyes still glued to the bonfire, untrusting. Steve smiled and nodded.

“It’s really something, isn’t it?” Bruce looked over in surprise. “I couldn’t really stay out in the cold long, thanks to asthma. Had to watch from inside as a kid.”

“Oh. This is your first one?” Bruce frowned. Steve nodded softly, a nostalgic smiled playing on his lips.

“More or less, I’ve seen them before, but never up close. Tony said this is your first one?” Bruce huffed slightly with a duck of his head and nodded.

“Y-yeah, I guess it is.” Steve chuckled and clasped his shoulder.

“You’ll love it. I’ve not seen Thor for a bit, I’m going to go find him. Poor guy thought this was some sacrificial thing.” He shook his head, “I can only imagine what he would do if he got hold of a sparkler.” Steve shuddered with a laugh before walking off.

Bruce watched him go with a sigh. He stayed where he was, half hidden by the stalls of refreshments. Apparent from the chilly air, it was a pleasant enough night, the stars were all visible and moon shone brightly. He watched everyone buzz by him in excitement, their breath flurrying in the air. He noticed Clint at the bonfire, roasting a bunch of marshmallows with a wide grin on his face. Thor was a little off from the main area, standing close to a worried Jane who was teaching him how to hold a sparkler. His face was a picture of pure joy and contentment as Jane softly held his hand and guided the sparking stick into his grasp.

The crackling announcement jittered to life as it announced the firework display to be beginning in ten minutes. Bruce made a small face and turned, shoving his hands into his pockets for warmth, and making his way slowly towards the back of the field where it was more quiet and darker. He made sure he was at the furthest away point from the display before he stopped. People were still milling around, but most had started flowing towards the centre of the event. Now he was away from the light of the bonfire, the stars twinkled brightly above him, catching his attention. He smiled slightly as he watched them. He followed the North Star, and then craned his neck for the Dipper. Bruce found as many constellations as he could, smiling in victory as he found each one. He was lost in his own content world, so lost, he never heard the footsteps approaching behind him.

“What’re you doing?” Bruce jumped and let out a small yelp as he spun round, wide eyed to stare at a highly amused Natasha.

“Don’t do that!” Bruce scolded, a small glare forming. Natasha merely smiled before glancing to the stars were Bruce had been so occupied moments before.

“You’re stargazing?”

“Not really, uh, kinda.” He shrugged, shuffling his feet. Natasha smiled sweetly and glanced over at the bonfire for a moment before looking back. She raised an eyebrow minutely as she watched him for a moment.

“Are you not going to join in with the fireworks? They’ll be ready any minute now.” Bruce lifted his gaze from the ground, and offered a shrug.

“I’m good here, not much of a fan.” He mumbled. Natasha nodded slightly, a small nod of understanding. Wordlessly, she held her hand out, a small bundle in offer. It took Bruce a few minutes to realise it was a hot dog, neatly wrapped in its napkin. “Go on, I figured we could stay up here for a bit.”

“We?” Bruce couldn’t contain the surprise as he took the hot dog from her. He looked back down the gathered crowd, managing to pick Clint and Tony out quickly, both men up the front and looking like children in a queue to meet Santa Claus.

“Like you said, not much of a fan.” She smirked slightly and sat down on the grass, crossing her legs tightly and taking a bite of her hot dog. “I saw you standing here and thought I’d join.” She offered as a vague explanation. Bruce slowly followed with a nod, sitting down beside her. They sat in silence for a while, enough time for them both to finish their hot dogs and watch the growing crowd for a few moments.

“Why did you come here?” Bruce’s voice drew Natasha’s eyes over. She blinked slightly as she looked over in confusion.

“What?”

“Why did you come here? The display, I mean. If you don’t like fireworks, It’s pretty daft.”

“I could ask you the same thing.” Natasha smiled slightly as he chuckled and made a face. Her bright hair flicked over her face as she laughed, her green eyes sparkling in the dim light. Bruce blushed after a moment, realising he was staring at her.

“I guess you could.” He smirked a little, cheeks still red. She hummed slightly in agreement, suddenly nudging him with her shoulder. He nudged her back, earning a smile.

“I don’t really see the point in them, they’re loud, and bright. Not my style.” Natasha shrugged after a few moments, crumpling her napkin around him her hands.

“Yeah, loud and bright don’t mix well with the Other Guy.” Bruce agreed in sympathy.

“I’m not scared of them though, just don’t think they’re worth standing in the freezing cold for hours.” Natasha rolled her eyes, sounding slightly defensive. Bruce only nodded in response, not wanting to admit he was afraid of them, and had been since he was a young child. They watched for a few minutes the sparklers being put out, one by one, in order to herd the remaining people towards the display.

 “So, where’s Orion?” Natasha suddenly looked up, eyes scanning the shimmering sky. Bruce looked over in surprise, pausing long enough for her to glance over. “I’ve never been big on stars, but I know a little. You seemed to know what you were looking for earlier.” She rolled her eyes, causing him to laugh.

“I wasn’t thinking you didn’t.” he shuffled closer before staring up himself, “see that cluster there? There’s three stars in a row to the left. That’s Orion’s Belt. Over there, that’s the sword, and-“ Bruce launched into a lesson on the stars, Natasha happily watching and listening, adding in bits where she could. He taught her how to find the different constellations, and the difference between the stars and Planet Jupiter which was just about visible to them. All the while, Natasha watched him with a fondness she never realised she had for the doctor.

“You’re a pretty good teacher, doc.” Natasha smiled slightly and watched as he ducked his head, a habit he had when he was amused or happy. She watched as a small lock of his fringe fell over his forehead, pausing for a moment before brushing it back towards his ear. Bruce tensed slightly, before relaxing and lifting his eyes. Natasha frowned slightly, feeling the same wave of uneasiness that had hit her earlier. She had never been good at expressing feelings, she had always just supressed and move on. This time however, she couldn’t find it in herself to stop. She stared into his eyes for what seemed years, feeling drawn in by the deep hazes of brown.

Bruce was just as frozen, lost in her beautiful emerald eyes. He moved forward slightly, however unsure of his intentions. His hand brushed hers, and lingered there. His other, twitching in his lap, wanting badly to reach out and pull her close. His eyes flickered to her lips, heart speeding up as he looked over the woman in front of him.

They stayed that way, inches from each other until the first of the bangs sounded. Both Avengers jumped, Bruce letting out a small yelp and Natasha wincing away. In a panicked moment, Natasha grabbed Bruce and dived down to the ground, as if avoiding something. Bruce landed on his back with Natasha sprawled over his chest, breathing heavily.

“S-sorry.” Natasha stuttered after the first wave of explosions had finished, looking into his thankfully brown eyes were wide and darting around. She mentally cursed herself, she had been so caught up in the moment, and she had let her guard down and forgot about the blasted rockets.

“Are you ok?” She looked down, considerably calm now. Bruce was peering up at her, his breathing only hitched slightly.

“Wasn’t expecting it.” She sighed slightly and ducked her head, angry at herself for making a fool of herself. They were fireworks, why did she react like it was a grenade? Bruce gently reached up and caught her chin. Slowly, Natasha focussed her gaze on him, his expression was unreadable.

“Is it too cliché if I said ‘my hero’?” Bruce smiled slightly, a small, shy blush appearing.

“I-probably, but I’m not judging.” She blinked, her voice soft and purring. Bruce blinked before closing his eyes. His hands snaked round her waist as he slowly, and softly, pulled Natasha down and pressed his lips against hers. She inhaled sharply, before kissing him back. It was passionate and full of proclamations. She let her body go limp, letting herself rest on Bruce’s solid body.

When they broke apart, Bruce let out a small grin and barked a chuckle, cheeks bursting into flames. He turned his head to hide his eyes, unable to do anything else. He opened his mouth to speak, probably to apologise, but he never found out himself. Natasha rolled her eyes with a smile and pulled his chin towards her, latching their lips together again.

Down in the middle of the display, Tony watched the silhouetted figures and smiled slightly, looking satisfied.

“Is that…?” Clint suddenly appeared at his shoulder, disbelieving eyes staring at the couple.

“Yup. It was bound to happen.” Tony smiled slyly before turning back and watching the next rocket soar high.

More fireworks launched high into the air and exploded into bright rainbows, but the Doctor and assassin never flinched.


End file.
